Barefoot

First of all- shame of me for not posting in such a long time! I really do have lots to say, but I've been busy. Busy with work, watching Olympics (which can suck away endless hours), and busy with socializing. But, I'm finally back and I have something to post that combines a good book, bare feet, and a new gym membership.

Curious?

I just read the book 'Born to Run' and loved it. The guy's writing style makes me think he's a little crazy, but I enjoyed the ride. The book in a nutshell is about running. I know, it sounds boring, but he tells the stories of some incredible (and also crazy) ultra distance runners. And when I say 'ultra distance', I mean 100+ miles at a time. That's like running straight for 36+ hours. Pure craziness.

So, he also talks a lot about running styles and how it's possible that it's better for you to run bare foot. That seemed so counter intuitive to me after living in Boston and going to the local running store. They watch you run, give you advice, and prescribe the best running shoes to help you save your knees, back, etc. This guy's point was that humans have been running for milenia without any shoes. Why do we need them? Our feet are designed to run. He went so far as to say it's the running shoes themselves that cause most injuries. We're cushioning our feet too much. We need to be able to feel the ground and then our running style changes naturally (for the better) without shoes.

I'm skeptical, but intrigued. So, I'm doing my own experiment. I recently joined a gym and signed up for a half marathon in May. I've been running outside and on the treadmill with my trusty running shoes, but I've modified my stride to be more on the balls of my feet (rather than striking the heel, which is hard on the joints). After running like that for a week or so, today I actually took the shoes off for about 10 minutes on the treadmill. Honestly, it felt great. My feet were so light. I didn't want to overdo it, so I stopped after 10 minutes, but I plan on giving it a go next week as well. I did get a blister on my big toe, but that was a minor issue. Who knows, maybe I'll become a bare foot runner?

I'll keep you posted.......